CALIFORNIA OFF-ROAD VEHICLE ASSOCIATION Volume 21 Issue 10 May 2009 CORVA OFF-ROADERS CALIFORNIA OFF-ROAD VEHICLE ASSOCIATION www.corva.org IN ACTION WE NEED YOUR HELP To Defeat the Youth Motorcycle/ATV Ban This country, concerned for its youth, created the Consumer Safety Act of 2008 which limits the amount of lead in sellable toys. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has classified motorcycles/ATVs as toys. This classification is targeted at children 12 and under, and has effectively outlawed the sale of the smaller bikes and their replacement parts. This ban will severely affect the sport of motorcycling, possibly resulting in the ban of all motorcycles. Electronic toys (video games and consoles) were exempt from this statute; can you imagine a world without a Playstation or Xbox? So imagine a world without motocross, supercross, desert riding and racing? This is what the Consumer Product Safety Commission has taken away from our country’s children. Dedicated business owners, riders and racers have rallied together to help fight this ban and reverse this unfair law. The plan is to call, visit, and write letters to our elected representatives to get as much support as possible to make this reversal happen. By flooding the offices with thousands of letters we can present the fact that this issue is serious and that it needs to be resolved immediately. Ask yourself, how is it legal for a child to purchase a lead fishing weight but not ride his OHV? This law affects every motorcycle and ATV rider. This law affects every motorcycle and ATV business. This law could end the sport of Motorcycling! Continued on page 14 Family Fun Days - Another Success! Well, the weather gods were smiling on the annual event in California City. We held the event on March 14-15th off Esse Rd. in an area that is perfect for a large group as we are. As with any CORVA event, it takes many volunteers to put it together. For 2009 we had our Secretary, Katherine Kelsey, step up to the plate and co-chaired the event with our Southern Director Jim Arbogast. Many hours go into the planning stages to bring our members a fun and exciting trip to the desert. Over the two day event we had; Challenging Games, a Dog Show, Fun Contests, GREAT Food, Prizes, a HUGE Campfire, a BIG Raffle and a SUPER Poker Run! So we had some GOOD FUN. Pictured we find a member attempting the famous Potato Stab game, timed against the clock, did he win? Read all about the weekend events starting on page 10 and we hope all can make our next one. We can always use volunteers as well in the planning stages, so don’t be shy now...we always try and have some fun! "Dedicated to protecting our lands for the people, not from the people." Page 2 Off-Roaders In Action, May 2009 Off-Roaders In Action, May 2009 Page 3 WHAT IS CORVA? CONTENTS The California Off Road Vehicle President’s Message 4 Association (CORVA) is a varied Annual El Mirage Days 5 group of outdoor recreationalists who Land Resources and Public Policy Report 6 are extremely active in promoting the OHV Grants 8 positive aspects of vehicular access on Malcolm Smith Fights Back! 8 public lands and protecting that right. Education News - Contamination ? 9 Family Fun Days Report The group is composed of the owners 10 of “Green Sticker” vehicles such as Escarabajo Buggy Club Off Road Rally 13 ATV’s, motorcycles, 3-wheelers, trials Off Road Expo Report 14 bikes, and dune buggies, as well as We Need Your Help! 14 “street legal” 4x4 vehicles, dual sport Extreme Motorsports Expo 15 motorcycles, baja and desert racers. CORVA Annual Meeting 16 S.22 Omnibus Land Grab Defeated NOT! The main purpose of CORVA is to 16 Members Donations & New Members have fun! We also work with the land 17 managers for responsible off-highway Associate Members 18 vehicular access and recreation oppor- Membership Application 19 tunities. Secondarily, we educate our CORVA Calendar 20 membership on the constantly chang- ing rules and regulations and promote BOARD OF DIRECTORS conservation, clean-up and trail main- Jim Woods President tenance projects. Jim Colln Vice President - Administration We participate in lobbying activities in Bruce Whitcher Vice President - Land Resources & Public Policy both Sacramento and Washington DC. Dan Eger Vice President - Education We work closely with the State Scott O’Connell Vice President - Sales & Marketing Department of Parks and Recreation Roberta Woods Treasurer providing input to the Off-Highway Katherine Kelsey Secretary Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) program from the users’ standpoint. Amy Granat Northern Regional Director We provide a valuable resource to land Doug Houser Assistant Northern Director - Legislation managers in the form of dedicated Kyra Assistant Northern Director - Grants OHV enthusiasts who believe in using Diana Mead Assistant Northern Director - Clubs our public lands responsibly. Debra Campbell Northern Regional Secretary We are active at all levels of the land Jim Arbogast Southern Regional Director management public process with both George Paniagua Assistant Southern Director - Legislation the BLM and USFS. We do this by Ed Stovin Assistant Southern Director - Grants commenting on many environmental Jeff Leonard Assistant Southern Director - Clubs documents on issues that affect us. Scott O’Connell Southern Regional Secretary We coordinate with other multiple use organizations such as snowmobiles to Ed Waldheim Immediate Past President horse enthusiasts to protect multiple use rights that we both share. Only Contact us at: [email protected] together can we fight the extremists. Mailing Address: 1500 W. El Camino Ave. #352 We are, Sacramento, CA 95833-1945 “Dedicated to protecting our lands for the people, not from Phone: 800-42-CORVA the people.” Newsletter Editor: >>> VACANT <<< Page 4 Off-Roaders In Action, May 2009 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE By Jim Woods Either Activists or Environmentalists ~ Where are we? At the last Desert Advisory Council meeting, I was able to view the first mapping of Senator Diane Feinstein’s new plan to protect former [railroad] Catellus Land by using a “Monument Designation” for the area. (Visit the Partnership for Johnson Valley web site at www.pfjv.org) This would close most of the desert from Yucca Valley all the way to the Mojave Preserve or practically the whole eastern part of our California Desert. It is currently a limited-use area that still holds many options for the OHV user. But with a change like this proposal, there is potential for it to become a “NO-Use” area or Wilderness. Can you imagine that? From the Salton Sea to Stateline – no OHV use at all! Top that off with the potential loss of Johnson Valley due to the Twenty-Nine Palms Marines Base expansion, there won’t be much left of the desert for OHV use. Not Good! Further, if you follow the articles in our ORIA for the National Forest Travel Management plans, it is clear that we must struggle to keep our access to our for- est trails as well. Thank goodness for all the hard work and invested time of our CORVA Board members, Amy, Bruce and Kyra. They spend hours reviewing the thousands of pages of reports and then write comments on the various plans. Through their work, and the work of many others, we have been able to save many miles of trails. Additionally, they have proposed changes that will benefit all National Forest users. Here in Southern California, most OHV use is done in the winter months when the desert weather is mild, and as the sum- mer heats up we go to our favorite lake, beach or other summer activity and neglect our OHV responsibility. Yes, we have a responsibility to continue to defend our OHV use – regardless of the season. Please don’t lose touch this year with the issues. It does not matter that it is in the mountains, sand dunes or desert, this is our PUBLIC Land. If we don’t continuously defend our right to use PUBLIC Land, the work of CORVA and all the other OHV organizations will not matter. As you make time to carefully put away your OHV toys for the summer, take the same time to write a letter. Ask to continue to have access to the desert, forest or dunes where you visit. Ask for a reasonable com- promise to share open land. Ask for full exposure of the science and facts surrounding the suggested closing of any areas near you. Ask for a response from those that make mandates for the OHV areas. There are several million OHV users in California alone. Can you imagine what Senator Feinstein would consider if at least half of them wrote her of their concerns? Start with One letter – the one from you! I would like to leave you with a quote from one of our CORVA Clubs, the R & R Duners. They made a donation recently to CORVA, and at the bottom of their club letterhead it reads: “The R&R Duners Club is a social club consisting of twenty four families and friends that love to recreate at the [Imperial Sand Dunes] ISDRA (Glamis). Club members represent the major- ity of people that visit the dunes, the families. We value our time spent having fun and making long lasting memories togeth- er. All of our members consider themselves to be Environmentalists and it shows in how we teach our children (40+ of them) to respect the land they live and play on.” OHV users are good people, good land stewards and environmentalists. You have the same rights as all others, and deserve to be heard.